Gabby douglas told to get a nose job...

[sopsyched]

What do yall think? Joke or not?

msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/gabby-douglas-olympics-nose-job-gymnastics-083112

Gabby Douglas' story is an inspiring one. It's made even more inspirational by what the 16-year-old gold medal gymnast had to go through to get to this point.

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Douglas is profiled in the October issue of Vanity Fair and more claims and allegations in regards to her former gym have surfaced.

Most notably in the piece is Douglas' claims that a staff member at the gym -- Excalibur in Virginia -- suggested that Douglas get reconstructive surgery on her nose. Unsurprisingly, Douglas told Vanity Fair that the alleged comment was "very hurtful." It was so hurtful, in fact, that her family told the magazine that it shook her confidence moving forward.

This isn't the first story detailing allegations against Excalibur. Douglas recently told Oprah Winfrey that she was the target of bullying while at the gym.

"I felt like I was bullied and isolated from the group, and they treated me not how they would treat the other teammates," Douglas told Winfrey recently.

She also told Vanity Fair about a time when she returned to the locker room after a training session only to find that her shirt had disappeared.

"You don't actually take by mistake someone's clothes," she said.

Douglas also says that she was the victim of racism, saying that a teammate once complained about cleaning up after practice, suggesting that Douglas, their "slave," do it instead.

However, the gym claims Douglas' story is incorrect.

Dena Walker, a coach and financial partner at Excalibur, say that the nose job comment was a joke. She also reportedly insisted when speaking to Vanity Fair that the gym goes out of its way to ensure the athletes don't feel threatened or bullied when it comes to gymnastics or anything else.

You saw the US women's gymnasts win gold. Now see a different side of them.
"We did with Gabby far beyond what are our coaches' duties," Walker said in an email to Vanity Fair. "We are proud of what we did. How is it possible ... to not recognize that she reached [her] level with our help, our economic support, our passion and our love?"

Walker also claims that, at times, Douglas had a "bad attitude."

Randy Stageburg, who trained at Excalibur for eight years (two with Douglas), was a little more outspoken in wake of the initial comments Douglas made to Winfrey.

"The accusations that are being made against the gymnasts and coaches are just sickening," she said, according to GymNewstics. "Gabby was never a victim, in fact, many would say she was one of the favorites. I am not saying that she never felt bullied because when you are in a sport with a bunch of girls it is bound to happen. However, anything that she may have felt was never about race and I can assure you everyone at some point has felt bullied."

It all led Douglas to resign to the fact she would quit if she didn't change coaches. She eventually did, moving on to a gym in Iowa. The decision to move to the new gym transformed Douglas as a gymnast, bringing out the beset in the youngster. Not long after, she became one of the American stars of the London Olympics.

[sopsyched]

Was this already posted?
I can acknowledge that they did train her, and get her started, but I'm not sure I understand why they keep responding and saying that she shouldn't have felt the way she did...

And I would think that anybody would take "get a nose job" as an insult.

[emilyj]

I believe her. You don't move on and switch gyms in gymnastics if everything is working out and things are ok at your current gym. There's too much of an investment there.

I'd really like to know what the coaches at Excalibur did that were "far beyond their coaches duties".

[dev22]

Aug 31, 2012 17:03:59 GMT -5 emilyj said:

I believe her. You don't move on and switch gyms in gymnastics if everything is working out and things are ok at your current gym. There's too much of an investment there.

I'd really like to know what the coaches at Excalibur did that were "far beyond their coaches duties".

This is what I was thinking - there was obvisouly SOMETHING going on that made her change gyms and move to a completely different state. Granted, some of it could have been your average teenage drama, but I doubt that was the extent of it.

And hell, the coach admitted to telling her to get a nose job - but just that it was a joke. Hahaha

[wrathofkuus]

Aug 31, 2012 17:03:59 GMT -5 emilyj said:

I'd really like to know what the coaches at Excalibur did that were "far beyond their coaches duties".

Suggest plastic surgery.

I believe her, too.

[marie427]

What kind of idiot thinks you can tell a teenage girl to get a nose job in a joking manner???

[Deleted]

As a biracial chick, I find the people who have said the most racist shit to me had no idea it was racist. They figured as long as the n word wasn't uttered and then were laughing that it was totes a joke, yo and not at all offensive.

I mean racists are people who wear white sheets to go on midnight rides across the countryside, amiright?

[sopsyched]

Aug 31, 2012 17:13:29 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

As a biracial chick, I find the people who have said the most racist shit to me had no idea it was racist. They figured as long as the n word wasn't uttered and then were laughing that it was totes a joke, yo and not at all offensive.

I mean racists are people who wear white sheets to go on midnight rides across the countryside, amiright?

I call it willfull ignorance. They know it's rude.

[summer]

Aug 31, 2012 17:13:29 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

As a biracial chick, I find the people who have said the most racist shit to me had no idea it was racist. They figured as long as the n word wasn't uttered and then were laughing that it was totes a joke, yo and not at all offensive.

I mean racists are people who wear white sheets to go on midnight rides across the countryside, amiright?

The first time I heard a racist joke was when it was told directly to me. And the people telling me could not understand why I wasn't laughing. They just could not understand.

[Deleted]

If I were her, I would just say (in my sweetest most innocent voice) "what gives you the right to suggest I need a nose job, people are too awed by gold metal gymnastic skills to concentrate on my nose"

[emilyj]

Also, this

"We did with Gabby far beyond what are our coaches' duties," Walker said in an email to Vanity Fair. "We are proud of what we did. How is it possible ... to not recognize that she reached [her] level with our help, our economic support, our passion and our love?"

Sounds like someone is pissed that they aren't her coach anymore and is trying to weasel into the spotlight. "We played a role TOO! Notice US, even if we were total shitheads!!!"

[foundmylazybum]

"However, anything that she may have felt was never about race and I can assure you everyone at some point has felt bullied."

8-D

Sounds like a really welcoming place since they can assure me everyone gets bullied.

Also see the point at which they state that Gabby has a bad attitude.

Umm...way to make yourselves look fantastical in this article and make me believe you didn't say she needed a nose job.

[robin]

The comments made by that gym and it's members are ridiculous.

But, she would have left regardless. That gym isn't an olympic training center. It's common for (extremely talented) people to completely uproot their lives to go to a very elite gym